Watchman&#39;s clock



Jan. 15, 1929.

J. F. RUTT WATGHMANS CLOCK s sums-sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 5, 1925 AN w.

Jan. 15, 1929.

J. F. RUTT WATCHMANS CLOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 5, 1923 fa" f5 jdn. 15, 1929.

J. F. RUTT wATcHMANs CLOCK Original Filed Feb. 5, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. l5, i929.

JOHN F. BUTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATCHMANS CLOCK.

Applicati-on'led February 5, 1923, Serial No. 616,916. Renewed .Tune 6, 1928.

My invention relates to watchinens clocks of the class which are carried from one station to another by a watchman and which are operated by him at each station by means of a fixed station key to make an impression on a movable dial and thereby form an automatic record of his movements. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a simple, light and comparatively inexpensive device for the object indicated. Further objects of my invention are to provide means -by which the locking operation of the closing lid will make a time. record of its action on the dial whenever it is opened or closed; so to construct the dial and its attachments that the dial may be accurately secured toa moving arbor in proper registration with the clock movement; to provide a novel device for embossing distinctive station marks upon the dial; to`provide a novel combination of the key-way and keys of such relative construction as to preclude falsification of the record made by the embossing apparatus; to make the keys of cheap and simple construction and further to provide a special system of characters by which the number of keys and the capacity of separate registrations may be extended-to any desired limit without enlarging the clock or increasing the number or size of its constituents parts.

The principles of my invention are illustrated iii the drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a fronti view of the recording dial of my improved clock; Fig. 2 is a. vertical section of the clock on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of l looked at trombelow; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line L.1i-tof Fig. 1 showing the cover securing .apparatus in locked position; Fig. is a similar view showing the same parts in relatively different positions; Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of Fig. 2 showing different relative positions of certain Y rrparts; Fig. l isa section on theline (-4 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a dial embossing key77 and the under side of a matrix plate adapted to 5to-operatek therewith gf Fig. 9 shows a series of characters adapted to use on the key; and Fig. 10

00 shows a fragniental recording dial.

Further describing my invention with reference to the drawings in which like characters of reference denote like parts throughout; numeral 1 represents the body of a suitable enclosing boxA and' 2 a cover attached thereto yby hingeB. i Within the body of the 'of the hour arbor and said box is the framework 4 of a suitable clock i" i movement having an observation dial 5 with the usual hands 6 and 7 attached to minute and hour arbors in the usual manner. At the rear of the clock framing is a circular dial plate 9 forming an enclosing wall for the clock movement. Upon the inner face of said plate is mounted the hour arbor which passes through plate 9 and carries a disk 10 which should be partially seated'in a depression in the face of plate 9 and extended slightly thereabove. The outer portion of the said arbor is enlarged and provided with a left hand screw 12 adapted to take the binding nut- 13 which should be of the exact circumference of the disk 10, upon which it is seated and between which and the under face of the binding nut the paper recording dial 15 is clamped.

The recording dial 15 consists of a disk of heavy paper in the ordinary form, having radial lines corresponding to the movements should be rigidly secured thereto by means of the clamping device. As a means of determining and fixing the exact relation of the two dials to each other, I provide an offset pin 17 attached to and proj ecting outwardly from the periphery of disk 10. There should be a corresponding aperture 1S in the paper dial and the pin should be set so closelyto the periphery of the binding member or nut lthat the 'dial cannot be caught between them but must be placed in proper registration before the bind- 'ing nut can be seated in place.

A bridge piece 20'is carried across the one edge or segment ofthe dial plate 9, being spaced' therefrom by the curved or spacing piece 21. Its normal position is determined by pins 22 and it is removably secured` in place by screws 23. A rock shaft 25 is journaled on the bridge piece and has a knife 26, or other marking instrument, radially attached to the inner end thereof. A spring 27 provides means by which the knife is noi'- nially held out of the cutting and marking position. The said rock shaft is further provided with a hook 28 adapted to engage with a corresponding hook oi latch 29 attached to the inside of the cover 30. The outer end of the iockshaft is or otherwise adapted to take an operating key 31. It will be seen that the interlocking hooks or latches perform the yfurtherfunction7 when the case is either being opened or closed, of causing the knife 26 to make a notch ordesquared as shown at 25 'i i pression in the paper dial and thus register the timos at Vwhich the case was locked or opened. A depression 35 in the plate t? permits the knife, as shown in Fig. 5, to cut entirely through the paper dial. The saine rotating movement locks or unlocks the case and causes the knife to make a cut in the dial and thus indicates the time of such opening. It will be seen that the inner mechanism oi' the case can not be'tampered with7 without leaving; the evidence of the case having been opened. The associated device by which the successive station records are made comprise in the full plan a matrix plate 3S on the under side of the bridge piece just above and adjacent to. the face of the .paper dial. The face ot'said matrix plate is provided with predetermined characters which correspond to; characters'on a ke-yJ 40 which is introdi ed through the slot '41 in the casing'. key-way adjacent to said slot is Jformed by the lateral; ii'alls?) and the enclosingT nartii A' n* .L

tion t. The key shown in perspective in Fia. S, may comprise a sha-tt and a head Ligt?. The head isl provided w rh a plurality of lateral longitudinal depressions 47 into which lead trans-verse depressions or notches 48. A 'further depression 49 is formed at the operating end ci? the head. Dies 50 are termed on. the.. upper edge o the body portion corresponding' to depressions in thematri); plateBS; Tlsiereisa further depression F1 on the upper edge of the key-shait l5i adjacent; to, the. head. lt corresponds to; a pin 5l in the plate 9, while. the depression corresponds tirlcruin pin 4&9" in the partition 45%,. Gaude pins 59 project inwardly fromI the lateral walls ot the. key-chamber.' and, into the key-'chamber also project a plurali-ty of antiA lction balls. whichr are-,held in normally advanced posit-ion by meansfofY springs 54 and tapfsfews. When it is desired to make a recoi l the. particular key at the. station to which it is attached is thrust by a straight linemotion. intotheislot lil, its movement in. thekey-way being guidedby the pins 52 operating-in the lateral slots 5?? untilthe ulcruni; pin lef?" received. within the openingr,l a9. A slight upward movement of the keyrshait causes Ythe gripping. halls to leave 'thelatcral slotsandpass across the portion of the key-head indicated by the dotted line in Fi 6, until they pass the dead centers tormfulv at the lower edge oiihe key causing-thchalls to bite thereon, lThe key is thus turnedupward'- onthe. fulcrum. pin 4:9? causinoa sudden blow orimpact ot the character oOupon the underside of thepaper dial at a point corresponding to the similar` depression in the. niet. plate. An emhossed'v figure or character is thus formed' on the face of the paper dial.. whichV shows the corresponding period. of. clock. movement: andT iornrs4 av record" oit: the. time. and?V orf the: station at. which itwasmade, assis-hereinafter.explainedz Ags the key swings upward on the ulcrum pin 49 he guiding' pin 52 enters the lateral slot 48 thereby holdingthe key in operative position while the pin 5l enters the depression in the key-shaft `thus further establishing accurate registration.

rilhe paper dial shown has twelve divisions, set eti' by heavy radial lines, Correspondingl to the hours from one to twelve. Each main section is divided by three light radial lines into Jour sections representing` fifteen minutes each. There are also a numhery of lines epresenting concentric circles on the dial forming tenv annular spaces.I ein individual character or figure representing each station is placed on the upper edge oi the key appropriated Jthereto so that the character represent-ing that station will he spaced from the pivot pin hy a distance corresp/'ending` with A Vone @ii the depressions iu said matrix. The

einhcasing` aiiiparatus will; then mark the dial so that the time will he indicated hythe positi nwith reference to the radial lines and the place oy reference to the! annular spaces. it willfhe understood that, by proper-mechanical arrangement. dials may he used having sp es for twenty four or other number of hours it desired. Y v

En the comino-n practice of using consecutive numerals the capacity ot a machine is limited to those numerals'hecause each numeral must have itsV Correspond-nag` matrix depression.. It additional stations are required to he added it can onlyl he done by enlarging the machine involving large additional cost. y

But l have discovered that by using a standard symmetrical character for all thev matrix depressions and a corresponding character and fragmentary portions thereof on the edge o' the keydiead an almost limitless number of' stations may be provided orjwith only the addition of a simple and inexpensive-key for each and without any additional weiigil'it in the clock itseli En. Fig.. 8l have shown the face of the matrix having ten depressions in the-form of an X. As each one@v represents one 'oi the annular spaces on the dial, embossing 'faces 30y such. as shownl spaced in regular-order on the edge of tlfre-key will show definitely the movements of the watchman. Should additional capacity he Ydesired beyond the ten keys already. provided for.V another srt ot keys to the-'number required may he used havingsub-characters. rlhese ina-y, he formed', ereiample, fronrthe lett hand* part (si-the Xgureas shownat 6. in Fig; 8. Aaiother series etten k is mayl have marking characters` like odin thedrawings. Each one will 13e-printed distfinctlyhythat portion of' the complete'- inthe matrix to which, it correspon-ds. By the series ofcharactersfindicated", as high aseonehundredakeys may he usedfy and* thei cap acity. or the machina be estended accordingly; without. increasey off Size,

weight or cost except for the keys and they may be added one at a time if desired. It will further be noted that other fundamental matrix figures as, for instance, a circle can be used. In this case, embossing faces forming a Whole or any portion of the circle can be used, While, by using a combination oi` the X ligure and the circle for the matrix and sub-portions of either or both for the embossing faces, the number of indications` may be almost without limit. I have explained this phase of my invention by reference to a matrix having all the depressions in the form of the fundamental Acharacter and the use thereof in the first setV of keys; the second set of keys all having the first set of sub-characters and so on. But itis also practical to use one matrix depression With any desired sequence of sub-characters on the keys. That is, instead of exhausting the positions in order with each character, the characters and sub-characters may be exhausted in their order with reference to each position.

I claim:

l. In a Watchinans clodk.; a` rotatable dial, a matrix substantially in Contact With one face thereof, a key-Way adjacent to the other face thereof, and a key or lever having a character on one edge corresponding to a character on the matrix, said key being ful* crunied at the inner end of said key-Way by a ball and socket connection to swing on its fulcrum and co-operate with the matrix and omboss said character on the dial.

2. In a Watchmans clock; a rotatable dial, a matrix substantially in Contact with one fare thereof, a key-Way adjacent to the other face thereof, and a key or lever having a character on one edge corresponding to a character on the matrix, said key being fulcrumed at the inner end of said key-Way to cio-operate with the matrix and emboss said character on the dial, guiding means to fulcrum the key and means to cause the character in the key when so fulerumed to refrw ister with the corresponding character in the matrix, the key fulcruin including a socket in the end of the key and a pin at the inner end of the key-Way to be received in the key socket.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Cook Count-y, Illinois, this 31st day of January, 1923.

JOHN F. RUTT. 

